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Henson, Gail (Dahlquist) (1967)
Date Of Birth: August-1-1949
Date Of Passing: August-16-2011
Age at Death: 62
Cause of Death: Lou Gehrig's Disease (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)
Alumni City: Tempe Alumni State: Arizona Alumni Country: USA
Survived By: Joe Dahlquist (son) and his wife Cande and their daughters Chloe and Bella Arne Dahlquist (son) and his son Kristina Dahlquist (daughter).
Gail earned a master's degree in Botany, studying Endolithic Algae (algae growing inside rocks). She then worked 19 years for the US Department of Agriculture Water Conservation Lab in Tempe, Az, until ALS forced her to retire. She fought a valiant four-year battle with ALS, but finally succumbed, as all ALS patients eventually do. Always gregarious and exceptionally generous, Gail is also survived by many, many friends.
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James Bodily (1967)
Gail you will always be in my heart
Larry Holmes (1967)
I didn't know Gail very well while at CHS, but after the 2007 reunion, I connected with her through the CHS messages on Yahoo. I got to know her a little better as we sent messages back and forth, but I didn't realize she had ALS for some time! She obviously was a strong person; she never sounded negative or complained in her emails. I eventually found out she was "writing" her emails using a device which tracked the movement of her eyes, which was about all she had left that she had control over. She eventually told me her husband had died some year earlier, which was another difficulty she seemed to handle with grace and dignity.
I really liked Gail. As I got to know her, and especially, when I learned what she was dealing with, it helped me deal with my health issues, which are difficult but nowhere near as difficult as Gail's were. It shows what kind of person she was when you consider that she, slowly deteriorating with Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS), was trying to cheer ME up and encourage ME to use what facilities I had left to approach life happily and still accomplish something. It was a very significant help to me that she turned away from her own suffering and handicaps to help me handle mine. I can't say enough about this; Gail was an outstanding person.
I have an exceptional but selective memory; I can remember some things in extreme detail while I forget where to turn to get to my house! I reminded Gail of some things which she "laughed" about. One of them was an entry of hers in a writing contest which generated a small pamphlet with the various entries in it. Gail's was "A Kiss is a contraction of the lips caused by the expansion of the heart". She had completely forgotten that, and was quite entertained by the returning of her memory of it. If she had not told me, I would never have known she had ALS. She must have been a very special person, and I am sure her family misses her greatly. I know I do. I think of her whenever I come to the CHS site.
Gail, and others from CHS I have emailed over the past few years, often said it was too bad we didn't express our feelings and form deeper friendships when we were young at CHS. So, in her memory, I will say that I think the world of Gail. I appreciate the caring, gentle way she tried to help me when I had almost passed away myself and learned I would not be "normal" again, ever, due to complications from several health issues I inherited. In fact, I must say what I truly feel: Gail, I learned to love you. You are sorely missed, but I am sure that you are happier now, and that you are progressing in whatever you are doing in the next life. It will be a happy day when my turn comes to pass on to that life and we can meet again. I am very glad I got to know you.